Is Negan leaving The Walking Dead?

The Walking Dead premiere episode of season 11 was full of shocking moments and lots of action! This episode picked up where the previous one left off during the Reaper war and Alexandria battling a storm, a fire and a horde of walkers.

Season 11 is the final for the series, and much is expected of the remaining 15 episodes. There are many characters that fans want to see shine as the series ends. Viewers all have their favorites and want the best for them in the end.

One significant storyline in the first eight episodes of the current season is the tension between Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Maggie has every right to hate him, as he brutally murdered her husband, but she hasn’t been around for years to see all he has done to try and redeem himself.

The remainder of this article will include major spoilers for “No Other Way.”

The Walking Dead – Negan

Negan Smith was the leader of the Saviors in earlier seasons. He was a horrible man who took what he wanted and didn’t care who got hurt in the process. No fan can forget the lineup of characters when he was first introduced and the bludgeoning he gave Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and Glenn (Steven Yeun). It was a horrific scene, one that many viewers can’t bring themselves to watch for a second time.

During Sunday’s episode “No Other Way,” Negan watched as Maggie took out the remaining Reapers, minus Leah, after she told them they could leave unharmed. Negan watched this unfold and realized that Maggie would eventually kill him as revenge for Glenn, truce or not.

Earlier in the season, Maggie and Negan set aside their differences and worked for the greater good of obtaining the much-needed food for Alexandria. Now that fight is over, Negan saw the look in Maggie’s eyes when she decided she would get revenge for all of the Wardens the Reapears killed. And knew it was only a matter of time before she would do the same to him.

Although not everyone in Alexandria has warmed up to Negan, he has made friends in Lydia, Judith and Gabriel. The disappointment was evident on their faces when they were informed of his departure.

So while Morgan hasn’t left the series, Negan will no longer reside at Alexandria. He has now set off to parts unknown to avoid the inevitable altercation with Maggie. The trailer for this segment of the season does show Negan in the woods with a new face. Will this be a new group he meets?

Showrunner Angela Kang has stated in interviews that there are still new groups to be met. It will be interesting to see where Negan’s story goes as many other characters will head to the Commonwealth.

The Walking Dead returns to AMC on Feb. 27 with the second episode of season 11B, “New Haunts.” This episode is available to stream on AMC+.

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